Last Updated on January 31, 2013.
By: Sensei Sean Nolan – TSMMA Midwood
I’d like to share with all of you one of the most reliable tools that I use to motivate my students. I call it my “Blue Sky Law”. In the past I had referred to this mental approach as my “Blue Sky Theory” but I’ve since changed my mind. This approach works for me every single time, without exception. It’s now as certain to me as gravity.
I call it my “Blue Sky Law,” This approach works for me every single time, without exception.
With most of the people I meet, it’s not a job, schedules, family, school or responsibilities that stop them from achieving their desired fitness levels. The underlying problem is mindset and motivation, not the litany of excuses or distractions they site. If their fitness were really that important to them, they would find the time. So, how do we go from being someone that makes excuses to someone who gets results? How do we truly change the rest of our lives by living a lifestyle of fitness?
The underlying problem is mindset and motivation, not the litany of excuses or distractions they site. If their fitness were really that important to them, they would find the time.
First, lets take a step back and consider a silly question: Are you a light bulb? Can you flip a switch and see results? Of course not. It takes some time for us to build momentum, burn thousands of calories and start seeing truly significant and noticeable results. It’s different for everyone – some people see and feel results in as little as a week, others may take two or three weeks. But once the results are noticeable, we’re hooked. The momentum that builds is undeniable and addicting. From then on, it’s easy! Unfortunately, many people lose heart too quickly and give up or get distracted just before they are about to make that breakthrough! We don’t let that happen at Tiger Schulmann’s MMA.
many people lose heart too quickly and give up or get distracted just before they are about to make that breakthrough! We don’t let that happen at Tiger Schulmann’s MMA.
Until you start seeing results, you need to be mentally strong enough to work through the initial stage of training. For some, it’s getting started. For others, it’s “getting back on the horse”. Either way, hit that “switch” and realize that you are not a light bulb. Realize that your “light” will take some time to warm up and shine brightly. That’s where the Blue Sky Law comes in. Consider this image……..
Imagine that it’s a dreary, cold, dark, windy, rainy day. It’s just miserable out. You feel down, cold, tired. You hope for better, warmer days, but it seems far off and unrealistic that those days will come any time soon. This “weather” is your mindset. That’s exactly what it’s like when your motivation is low and/or you’re out of shape. You just feel awful and can’t seem to find the energy for anything. Now, imagine that you head to the airport on this same dreary day. You board a plane for a warmer destination. As you board the plane, you again take notice of the horrible weather here at home. You sit down, fasten your seat-belt and the plane takes off…..
As the plane climbs, it puts out tremendous amounts of energy and force to fight through gravity and the awful weather that surrounds you. For some time, the ride is bumpy and the skies outside the plane are just as dark as they were when you took off. But the plane does not stop and continues to climb and push its way through….
Then, even though you just took off a short time ago, you start to see the sky lighten up. The plane continues its work and finally cracks through the top of the clouds into a beautiful, sunny, clear, crisp blue sky. This same clear blue sky was above you the entire time! This same blue sky was there to see once the plane did its work and climbed through the clouds. Pretty simply image here: The “weather” is your mindset and the “plane” is you.
No matter how unmotivated, down or troubled you may be, trust the training. The training itself will lift you out of your old, ineffective mindset and take you to a place that was always right there in front of you.
No matter how unmotivated, down or troubled you may be, trust the training. The training itself will lift you out of your old, ineffective mindset and take you to a place that was always right there in front of you. We just have to be mentally strong enough to follow through for long enough to build up our momentum. For some its a few classes, other people a week or two, but I guarantee that you will feel like a different person if you simply do not give up and continue your climb to that blue sky. I will never give up on you. I will be here every single class to help you do it.
See you on the mat –
Sensei Nolan